NOTE: §418.1 eff. upon ratification of the const. amend. proposed by Acts 2025, No. 222.

§418.1. Salary increase; teachers and other school employees

            A.(1)(a) Each public school system shall provide a permanent salary increase, plus any related benefits, of two thousand two hundred fifty dollars for certificated personnel and one thousand one hundred twenty-five dollars for noncertificated personnel. Each public school system shall fund the increase and related benefits using the net savings realized by the system from the reduction in its employer contribution rate attributable to the state's payment of certain unfunded accrued liability of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana.

            (b) Each public school system shall incorporate the permanent salary increase as provided in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph into its salary schedule and shall also provide such increase, plus any related benefits, to personnel who are on approved leave when such increase is provided, including but not limited to the following types of leave:

            (i) Leave due to assault, battery, or physical contact with a student as provided in R.S. 17:1201 and 1206.1.

            (ii) Sabbatical leave.

            (iii) Military leave.

(iv) Maternity leave or adoptive leave.

            (2) If the amount of net savings realized by a school system is in excess of the amount needed to fully fund the salary increases in the amounts specified in this Subsection, plus any related benefits, the school system shall only expend such excess savings on the following:

            (a) Employing personnel who qualify for differentiated compensation allocations in critical shortage areas, including grades kindergarten through twelve special education, grades six through twelve mathematics, grades six through twelve science, or other critical shortage areas as defined by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

            (b) Employing personnel for a summer enrichment program pursuant to R.S. 17:401.11 et seq.

            (c) Early childhood education programs that focus on enhancing the preparation of at-risk children for school.

            (d) School security enhancements.

            (e) Technology.

            (f)(i) A salary increase, plus any related benefits, in an amount that exceeds the amounts specified in Subparagraph (1)(a) of this Subsection.

            (ii) If the school system expends excess savings for this purpose:

            (aa) The provision of the increase, plus any related benefits, shall be subject to the requirements of Subparagraph (1)(b) of this Subsection.

            (bb) The amount of the increase, plus any related benefits, provided for certificated personnel shall be uniform and apply to all certificated personnel.

            (cc) The amount of the increase, plus any related benefits, provided for noncertificated personnel shall be uniform and apply to all noncertificated personnel.

            B. For purposes of this Section:

            (1)(a) "Personnel" means both certificated personnel and noncertificated personnel as defined in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph who are employed based on the staffing data submitted to the official personnel data reporting system of the state Department of Education as of October first of the school year when the salary increase, plus any related benefits, is provided.

            (b)(i) "Certificated personnel" means personnel employed as Teachers (all function codes 1000-2200s, object code 112); Therapists/Specialists/Counselors (function codes 1000-2200s, object code 113); School Site-based Principals, Assistant Principals, and Other School Administrators (function code 2400s, object code 111); Central Office Certificated Administrators (function codes 1000-2200 & 2324, 2831, and 2832 (excluding 2130s), object code 111); School Nurses (function code 2134, object code 118); and Sabbaticals (function codes 1000-2200s, 2134, and 2400s, object code 140).

            (ii) "Noncertificated personnel" means personnel employed as Aides (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 115); Support Supervisors (function codes 2130s, 2300s (excluding 2311, 2321, 2324, 2831 and 2832) and 2500-4900s, object code 111); Clerical/Secretarial (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 114); Service Workers (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 116); Skilled Craftsmen (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 117); Degreed Professionals (function codes 1000-4900s, (excluding 2134s) object code 118); and Other Personnel (function codes 1000-4900s, object codes 100, 110 and 119).

            (c) The positions, object codes, and function codes provided in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph shall be defined as provided in Chapter 9 of Part XLI of Title 28 of the Louisiana Administrative Code.

            (2) "Public school system" means any city, parish, or other local public school board, any charter school, or any other elementary or secondary school governing authority that participates in the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana.

            C. Not later than December thirty-first of the year that the salary increase is provided as required in Paragraph (A)(1) of this Section, each public school system shall submit a report to the state Department of Education in a manner determined by the department that documents such implementation and the expending of any excess savings as provided in Paragraph (A)(2) of this Section. The department shall submit a report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than March first of the next year containing the information reported by each system pursuant to this Subsection.

            Acts 2025, No. 366, §1, eff. See Act.